


The Winds of Fortune

by lil_1337



Category: No Fandom, Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Kidnapping, canon level violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 06:36:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7704259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Artwork by the amazing t_shirt1x2 can be found <a href="http://lil-1337.livejournal.com/577823.html">here</a>.  She is currently accepting commissions and can be found at her LJ or by email at t0shirt@yahoo.com</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Winds of Fortune

**Author's Note:**

  * For [4bdnsn0wflake](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=4bdnsn0wflake).



“Haru~chan!” Honey grinned and grabbed Haruhi by the hands, swinging her around until she swayed dizzily trying to keep her footing. “What are you doing for the break? Are you going anywhere?” 

“No.” She smiled, a little bemused. “I am going to read and spend some time with my dad. We haven’t seen much of each other the last few weeks. What about you?” 

Honey’s almost manic grin softened and he let go of her hands. “That sounds nice. Takashi and I are going to visit my family at our country house. It’s in the mountains and very beautiful.” 

“Oh.” She frowned, surprised. “Mori isn’t going to see his family?” 

“We saw them last break.” Honey’s grin was firmly back in place. “Chika and Satoshi are visiting this time. We trade off with them on visits.” 

“Satoshi?” Her frown deepened. 

“My brother.” Mori’s voice caught her off guard and she spun to face him. 

“I didn’t know you had a brother.” Haruhi didn’t attempt to hide the surprise in her voice. Though, in light of the connections between the two families it made a lot of sense. It must be nice, she thought wistfully, to have a built in friend and companion. That was one of the downsides to being an only child without any family near by. Oh, well, she shrugged mentally, it was one of the reasons she was self sufficient and that was an important life skill.

“He’s at the other school with Chika.” Mori smiled, his usual stoic expression softening around the edges as he turned his attention to his cousin. “Mitsukuni, the car is here. We should go. Lunch will be waiting for us.”

“And cake!” 

“Yes.” Mori smiled indulgently then nodded to Haruhi. “Enjoy your break.” 

“Bye! See you in a week.” Honey waved, using Usa chan’s paw, to the rest of host club before running after Mori. 

Haruhi watched them go with an affectionate smile then gathered up her satchel to begin the trek home. She could have gotten a ride with any of the host club, but she enjoyed the walk, especially when the weather was bright and sunny the way it was today.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“...And there are new sweets to try. Hino Sensei said that she was saving the very best ones for when we come to visit.” Honey was all but bouncing in his seat under Mori’s amused, indulgent eye. “It will be warm enough to go swimming and hiking.” He sighed happily and slumped back against the plush cushions. His voice softened, losing some of its perky lolita charm. “It will be good to be home, Takashi. I’ve missed seeing father and sparring with him.” 

Mori smiled and nodded, briefly resting a hand on Honey’s head. “ I have too.” 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Haninozuka estate was nestled in the middle of an old growth forest, well hidden from view of prying eyes. The turn off from the main road was a small, nondescript, dirt road that widened and smoothed out after the first bend allowed the trees to screen it from passing traffic. It wound back several miles, deep into the seclusion of the woods until the noise of rushing cars was replaced by the sounds of nature going about her business. Mori rolled down his window as soon as they were off the paved road letting the calm and peaceful feelings that always came with returning home flow over him. On the other side of the car Honey had his window down as well and his head out. The breeze tugged at his hair throwing it every which way though it did nothing to dampen the look of pure happiness on his face. 

Honey had a long and complicated history with his family and returning home was fraught with potential landmines which was one of the reasons that Satoshi and Chika would be staying with the Morinozukas. It was better if the two boys had space even if the necessity seemed to make Honey sad. Mori, for his part, got along well with his brother, but he understood familial duty and responsibility well enough not to ever complain about their limited contact. As much as he cared about Satoshi, Honey would always come first.

The long black car pulled up to the main building and slowed to a stop. The wheels had barely stopped rolling when Honey was sliding across the seat to fling open the door, much to the driver’s chagrin. Mori followed at a much more sedate pace, pausing to pick up Honey's forgotten backpack as well as his own.

In the formal dining room lunch was waiting for them. Miso soup, steamed rice, and seaweed salad was followed by Okonomiyaki, Mori's favorite. The final dish was a large cream cake with strawberries, Honey's favorite, to herald the return of the young masters of the house. It didn't take the two boys long before the area was devoid of food and they were comfortably full. Pushing away from the table Honey slid off his chair and stretched, a happy smile on his face.

“Nap time?” Mori patted his lips before standing as well.

“Soon.” Honey yawned, his eyelids drooping a little even though his eyes were still bright. “I should change and go say hello to father first.”

Mori nodded his agreement. While he would be welcomed as a second son at the dojo he also knew that Honey preferred to greet his father by himself. They would spar and get reacquainted; reminding each other how they were connected. Later, in an hour or so if they hadn’t returned to the house Mori would join them. For now though, he had his book to keep him entertained and he was looking forward to getting a start on it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The dojo was quiet when Honey opened the door and slid in. He’d expected his father, at the very least, to be there, possibly a few students as well. His gaze darted around the room taking in the familiar details even as his nose registered a strange smell. He felt himself getting light headed, but when he stepped back and opened the door, letting in a gust of fresh air, it passed almost immediately. 

The next thing he noticed was a piece of paper pinned to the ground with a knife. Anger at the damage to the floor was immediate and visceral. The whole section would have to be torn up and replaced. Just sanding out the cut would cause it to be uneven and that would not do. The dojo had been built to celebrate Honey’s birth and expanded when Chika was born. It was as much a family heirloom as a place to train and damaging it was an insult to the family’s honor.

Stomping over to the knife Honey pulled it out, bringing the paper with it. With liquid grace that was often masked by his cute ways he removed it and snapped the note open with a single flick of his wrist. He read it once, then twice, his eyes narrowing as they sped over the characters written there. 

Outside, a bunny shaped cloud began to form over the house even though the rest of the sky remained clear and blue. Instead of the usual fluffy pink formed by a sleepy or annoyed Honey this one was drawn with heavy, dark lines and sharp angles. Inside it was less a color and more the complete and utter lack of light. Except for the eyes, which glowed the way that blood would if it was set on fire.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mori frowned. Something kept nagging at him. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but something felt wrong. Off. Honey hadn’t been gone very long, but still Mori couldn’t shake the feeling. Carefully he marked his page then set the book down. The walk from the family area to the dojo took less than five minutes and the sense of urgency increased with each step. 

When he frowned, surprised to find the doors standing open, then stepped into the dojo, pausing to bow before entering. The scene that greeted him was not what he was expecting. Instead of finding Honey sparring happily with his father he was pacing in circles, clenching a piece of paper in one of his hands. Honey’s father was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the place appeared to be devoid of life with the exception of him and Honey. 

“Mitsukuni, what’s wrong?” Mori stepped in Honey’s path forcing Honey to stop. 

Without saying a word Honey thrust the paper at Mori then moved around him to continue his pacing. Now, even more concerned, Mori smoothed the crumpled note before reading. 

_We have Mr. Haninozuka. If you contact the police he will die. Wait for further instructions._

Mori read the note again, frowning, before looking up at Honey. He could see his own disbelief and anger mirrored on Honey’s face. He opened his mouth to say something then shut it, not knowing what, if any, words would make things better. After a moment of just looking at each other Mori went down on his knees and pulled his cousin close, holding him until Honey stopped squirming and clung to him, his body shaking with rage and the silent sobs that soaked the shoulder of Mori’s shirt. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyouya ignored the chime that indicated he had a new email. Focusing, instead, on the one he was currently writing. The most recent photo book, a visual history of the host club, had sold out almost immediately creating a demand for a second and probably a third printing so he was in the process of contacting the publisher with the order.. His cursor hovered over the send button for a second as he weighed his options. With a decidedly evil grin he reopened the email and outlined a small change to the front cover before attaching four files, previously unseen photos, and requested that they be added to the final page. It was only a minor difference, but the additional pictures and the words ‘Never before seen photos!’ would not only fill the back orders, but generate new ones from the people who had purchased the first printing. This time he sent the email off, smiling as he calculated the amount of revenue that the new books would generate. 

Ignoring his inbox for a moment he checked on the progress of his latest investments. They had been a bit risky so he was pleased to find that they were doing well. Then again, considering the source of his information he should have expected nothing less. He was usually very careful with his money and the bulk of it was socked away in safe places, but he was willing to do the occasional gamble if the promised payout was enough to make it worthwhile. With a smirk of smug satisfaction he minimized the tab and turned his attention back to his email. He clicked on the link then raised an eyebrow when a notice that the email was encrypted popped up on the screen. His interest now fully engaged, he opened his encryption software. It didn’t take more an a minute to finish. 

The sender was listed as Honey and it was tagged as having the highest level of importance. Kyouya scanned the brief message, a frown furrowing his brow that rapidly developed into a dangerous looking scowl. Carefully, he read it a second time, his fingers trapping a discordant rhythm on the desk next to his laptop. He was already formulating a plan as he pressed the reply button. Quickly, he typed, outlining what he was going to do, then checked it over to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. He encrypted his reply then sent it off. Next, he wrote a letter to Captain Matsuki the head of the Ootori police force informing him that Mr. Haninozuka had gone missing, but leaving out any mention of foul play. If word leaked it would be better for the reputation of the Haninozuka family that kidnapping not be mentioned as part of the equation. Kyouya requested that they be extra vigilant in keeping an eye out for Mr. Haninozuka and if he was sighted to contact Kyouya immediately.. Under no circumstances were any actions other than observation to be taken. 

Once the email was encrypted and sent out Kyouya began roughing out another. This one would have to be delicately and discreetly worded. It would require calling in some favors, but that was the reason he collected them. Well, that and the pure visceral pleasure of the power they implied. In building his empire Kyouya had made contacts in a lot of different areas of business. Somewhere, someone, was planning to benefit from this and when they made their move to do so, Kyouya would know. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m sorry for interrupting, but I thought you would want to take this call.” Tetsuya smiled offering Ritsu a compact mobile phone that he recognized as his own. “It’s from Mori Sempai.” 

Ritsu blinked, surprised, and reached for his it automatically. Mori had never phoned him before despite the fact that Ritsu was now a regular client of the host club and had been accepted as Mori’s apprentice in the scary, but still lovable brigade. Most of their interactions still took place at school or during pre-scheduled club get togethers. They were friends, not intimates, and certainly not on the telephoning each other during vacation level. As he reached for the phone Ritsu steeled himself for the raucous laughter of the Hitachiin twins. This seemed like the kind of joke they would find hysterical. He’d been on the losing side of their humor more than once.  
They all had. It was the price you paid for spending time with the host club. Ritsu had no problem with that. He liked being a part of something as well as knowing that there were people who were so unintimidated they were willing to pull pranks on him. 

“Hello.” 

“Kasanoda.” Ritsu startled at the sound of Mori’s voice. For some reason he could not define, alarm bells started to go off in his head. “We need your help.” 

The alarm bells were clanging loudly now and he had to shake his head to clear the image so as not to loose Mori’s words to it. Nodding his head, even though he knew it couldn’t be seen he spoke. “Anything.” 

“Mitsukuni’s father has been kidnapped.” There it was, Ritsu’s gut tightened now that he understood. In the yakuza this scenario rarely had a happy ending, but Mr. Haninozuka lived in a different world. There might be hope for his safe return. “They left a note. It said not to contact the police and to wait for instructions.” 

That was a good sign. Notes and ransom demands usually meant the kidnapper did not intend to kill his victim, just use him or her as leverage or a bargaining tool. 

“What can I do to help?” Ritsu wasn’t sure what it was that Mori wanted from him, but he was prepared to put all his weight as the son of a powerful yakuza family behind finding Mr. Haninozuka and bringing him home safely. The kidnappers would be dealt with as well, but Mr. Haninozuka’s safe return was the first and main priority. 

“Do you or your father know of anyone who might have been responsible?”

Ritsu frowned, thinking back over the conversations he had had with his father about the nature of their business. Nothing immediately sprang to mind. Though, to be honest, he generally didn’t pay that much attention when his father started talking about work. He knew the day would come when he would be expected to take over, but right now that seemed so far in the future he couldn’t even begin to imagine it. Nor did he want to. 

“I can ask my father. He might know or be able to find out.”

“Thank you. Mitsukuni and I would appreciate that.” 

“I’d be glad to help. That’s what friends do.” 

Even though there was miles of distance between them Ritsu could almost see the smile he heard in Mori’s voice. “Yes, it is.” 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Read it again.” Honey narrowed his eyes, red rimmed from lack of sleep but still piercingly sharp, at Mori and resumed pacing the length of the dojo. 

Mori nodded solemnly and lowered his gaze back to the single sheet of paper that had been slipped under the front door some time in the night. “We demand one million yen in ransom for the return of Mr. Haninozuka. You have twelve hours to raise the money and be ready to follow our directions.” 

“A million yen.” Honey growled, stopping in the middle of the room and slamming his fists together; the slap of flesh on flesh reverberating off the walls. “My father is worth so much more than that. It is not enough to insult us by kidnapping the head of the Haninozuka family. To say that we do not have the money to pay a decent ransom is too much!” 

“Maybe it is an amateur who doesn’t know the value of the man he has.” Mori suggested

“Could an amateur take my father against his will?” Honey’s voice was deadly calm as he advanced on Mori.

“No.” Mori admitted. “You are the only one who has ever beaten your father in a fair fight.” 

“Or an unfair one.” Honey added, pride in his voice. Rubbing his face he slowed until he could lean heavily against Mori. “I smelled something strange when I came here yesterday and I felt dizzy for just a minute.” 

“You think they used gas to knock him out.” Mori rested a hand on Honey’s head, soothing him with a touch. 

“They must have. He’s not here and he could take on an army and win.” Honey’s voice dropped, suddenly sounding more like his appearance would suggest than his actual age. “There is no blood so he must be okay, right Takashi? They didn’t hurt him.” 

“We’ll get him back, Mitsukuni, I promise.” 

“What if you’re wrong? What if he’s…” Honey buried his head in Mori’s hip cutting off his words so that the thought remained unspoken and therefore untrue. 

“I’m not.” Mori spoke firmly, his tone not allowing for any discussion. “There’s cake in the kitchen. Hino Sensei made it for you. We should go have a piece.” 

“Does it have strawberries?” Honey pulled away, rubbing at his eyes like a sleepy child. 

Mori smiled, nodding and beginning the process of gently herding Honey back towards the main house. “Of course.” 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“...in other news, rumors are swirling that the head of Haninozuka family has not been seen for several weeks and is in fact, missing. The family could not be reached for comment, but we will bring you more as this story unfolds.” 

Kyouya glared at the hapless reporter, his mind digesting this new information. The fact that the press was now involved added another dimension to the situation. Obviously the kidnappers were looking for more than money. Adding in humiliation or possible destruction of a rival changed the pool of possible suspects. 

He opened his laptop and began to compose an email. There were a lot of martial arts schools in Japan who would love to have the reputation and business that the Haninozukas enjoyed. The first step would be find out who was close to being on the same skill level, or thought they were, and was either in financial straits or ambitious or foolish enough to try to claim the top spot through underhanded means. The money end was easily obtained, at least if you had the contacts that Kyouya did. It would be a more involved process to find out who would be willing to resort to kidnapping. 

The press’ interest added another reason to solve this problem and do it quickly. Kyouya was not happy about having his friend’s family attacked and these new developments were ramping up a cold rage that was steadily building inside him. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Young Master. We’re sorry. We failed.” The row of men in front Ritsu, already on their knees, bowed as one until their foreheads were touching the pavement. 

When Ritsu dismissed them with an embarrassed wave of his hand they all sat up, eyes downcast in disappointment. It was rare for the young master to ask anything of them and never had it been something of this importance. They had all wanted desperately to find the answers and make things right, but one by one they had returned to the compound; defeated and dejected. Only Hiiro was still out, but the lead he had chosen to follow was such a long shot that it most likely would come to nothing as well. 

“No one knows anything about a kidnapping.” The spokesman of the group continued. “Even the boldest among our clan was horrified about the idea of attempting to take Mr. Haninozuka. The danger is high and odds of success are low.”

“Thank you for trying.” Ritsu sighed, disappointed, but not surprised. The men’s heads dipped lower in response, guilt weighing heavily on them. 

“Maybe we can try again tomorrow.” An unsure, but hopeful voice rose from the relative anonymity of the back row.

“Yes.” The rest echoed. “We can try again tomorrow.” 

Ritsu looked out over his father’s men, the perpetual glare on his face giving the false impression that he was not pleased. “Thank you.” He fought down the urge to reward them with a smile knowing that it would only serve to terrify them instead.

He was about to dismiss the men when Hiiro stumbled through the gates of the compound breathing hard and covered in a layer of dust. “Young Master!” He called out before bending over to catch his breath. The rest of the men rose as one and crowded around their friend, patting him on the back and offering him water. 

After a moment he straightened up, pushing his way to where Ritsu was standing. “There is a school that is small, but well respected. The owners have repeatedly challenged the Haninozuka school been beaten soundly each time. They have been bragging that the next time they will win and that they will take all of the training contracts for themselves. They are even building a bigger school. It is out in the country and there were several cars there today even though no work is going on.” 

“Did you see Mr. Haninozuka?” Ritsu’s voice was eager now and his face, still ferocious enough to cause nightmares in small children, was alight with a pleased glow. 

“I couldn’t get close. It is well guarded. Much more than a simple building site should be.” 

“Thank you.” Ritsu shook Hiiro’s hand making the hardened yakuza lieutenant blush with happiness and pride. “Open some of the good saki for dinner. You have all earned it.” Turning his back on his adoring underlings Ritsu pulled his phone from his pocket and carefully dialed Mori’s number. 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“It’s been more than twelve hours!” Honey checked the wall clock for the fifth time in as many minutes. “It’s been over thirteen since we found the note.” 

Mori nodded, exhaustion showing in the tightness around his mouth. He searched for words of reassurance, but none came. None that he had not already spoken and was beginning to lose faith in himself. “Maybe we should call the police.” 

“No!” Honey shook his head, anger flashing in his eyes. “This is about family honor and while my father is gone I’m the head of the Haninozuka clan. It is my job to keep everyone safe. We will follow the directions we were given.” 

“Then we wait.” With a seemingly accidental movement Mori pushed Usa-Chan across the coffee table towards Honey. He was scooped up with a grateful smile and hugged close.

Silence crowded the room as both young men watched the seconds tick by on the clock. When another hundred and twenty of them had passed Mori’s phone vibrated then began to ring. They exchanged a look as Mori leaned down to see the name on the caller ID screen. “Kasanoda.” He announced before answering, making sure it was on speaker phone so Honey could hear as well.

“One of my men has found out that the owner of the Ibeki School has been bragging that this time they will win their challenge against the Haninozukas. He is claiming that he will take the training contracts and has already started building a new school. Hiiro was there today and said it was well guarded even though there were no workmen at the site.” 

Honey’s eyes narrowed and all the sadness fell away leaving a well trained martial artist ready to go to battle. “Where is it?” 

“I’ll send you a text with the information. Do you want me to send some men to help?” 

“No.” Honey’s voice was sharp, but softened almost immediately, not wanting to seem ungrateful. “Thank you, but Takashi and I will handle it.” He paused, smiling for the first time since he’d found the note stuck to the dojo floor. “I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“We owe you a debt of gratitude.” Mori corrected.

“It’s what friends do.” Ritsu cut the connection abruptly and less than a minute later a text came through with an address and directions on how to reach the building site. 

They stood in unison, both watching the other. As Honey headed for the front door and the waiting car he turned to Mori, flashing a grim smile that held no hint of humor. “Takashi.” 

Mori nodded acknowledging that Honey had his full attention. 

“I think, just this once, it's okay if you hurt them.” 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The ding of an incoming email grabbed Kyouya’s attention and he minimized the page he was looking at to focus on his new mail. He was pleased to see that the return address and routing information were blocked. Hopefully this was what he was waiting for and not yet another promise of a quick way to get rich. If there was anything that he didn’t need it was someone else’s plan to make money. He had more than enough of his own, well proven, ideas to accomplish that particular goal. 

He read through the email carefully then composed a reply that consisted of only two strings of numbers. One a user id and the other a password. It was a good thing that the photobook was going into a second and possibly a third printing because he had just depleted one of his working capital accounts. He shrugged, turning his thoughts away from how much he had spent for a moment. Money was simply a tool and like any other it was pointless to have it if you weren’t going to use it. 

Closing the lid of his laptop Kyouya picked up his phone and dialed Honey’s number. When it went to voicemail immediately he hung up and dialed Mori. Some of the tension in his shoulders eased when Mori answered on the second ring. 

“Where are you?” Kyouya grimaced at the echo to his voice that indicated he was on speaker phone.

“We found out who has my father and we are on our way to get him.”

Kyouya was not surprised that it was Honey who answered, given that he often spoke for both of them. “There is more to this than what you think.” Silence on the other end indicated that both Mori and Honey were listening so he continued. “The Ibeki clan is hoping to benefit from kidnapping and humiliating your father, but they have powerful backers with other goals in mind.” He checked his watch and frowned. “How long ago did you leave?” 

“Fifteen minutes.” This time it was Mori that answered. 

“Did you see anyone near where you turned onto the main road?” 

Again there was silence for a moment before Honey spoke. “There was a car with it’s hood up about half a mile down the road.” 

“He was watching for you. His job is to call the police and give them a tip. It is timed for them to show up while you are fighting so they will also see your father tied up and helpless ruining his reputation.” Kyouya’s voice dropped and took on a colder edge. “More importantly they are supposed to witness Honey’s power and strength. Ibeki’s backers plan to use that to oust the current Minister of Defense out of power. They want accusations of Japan harboring a weapon of mass destruction to start a global conflict and take the country back into an isolationist state.” 

“I won’t leave him.” Honey’s tone made it clear that he didn’t care about anything, but rescuing his father.

“Of course not.” Kyouya snapped. “I will delay the police and Mori will have to rescue your father by himself. We can’t risk the chance that someone might be recording your fight.” 

“Takashi?” The single word was several questions in one and Kyouya had no doubt that Mori had heard them all. 

Kyouya heard a rustling sound and if he closed his eyes he could picture Mori resting his hand on Honey’s head. “I can do this.” 

There was an expulsion of air followed by a heavy sigh before Honey spoke. “I trust you. Bring him and yourself home safely.” 

“I will.” Two simple words that held the weight of a sworn promise in them. 

“Good.” Kyouya adjusted his glasses and they flashed opaque for a split second. “Tell your driver to hurry, we are running on limited time.” 

He ended the call with a quick press of a button then pressed number one on his speed dial. It only rang once before it was answered. “Captain Matsuki,” Kyouya spoke with authority of the Ootori family ringing in his voice. “There is something I need you to do for me.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mori slipped from the car and made his way down the hill towards the construction site. Hiiro had been right. There was too much light and too many people around for it to be just building security. Something was not right. He skirted the perimeter taking a measure of how many people were there and what they were doing. 

For just the flash of a second he wished that he had more training in stealth and infiltration. Unfortunately, though, it was not his way to skulk in the shadows. When he engaged the enemy it was head on. Taking a deep breath he rolled his neck, cracked his knuckles and stepped out into the light. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Captain Matsuki bowed to Captain Okami of the Crisis Intervention Team. “Thank you for coming so quickly. The call we received said that there was a bomb that was scheduled to go off in half an hour somewhere in the Ootori Medical Building.”

“Did you evacuate the building?” Captain Okami studied the sleek glass and metal exterior of what was one of the most expensive buildings in town. It would not look good for him and his team if it went up in smoke and flames. He and his people would lose face and that would damage the reputation of the whole department. His chief would not be pleased by that.

“Yes, Sir. We started doing that as soon as the call came in. Fortunately, there were not a lot of people this time of day. I had my men start a visual search, but so far they have not found anything.” 

“Call them out.” Captain Okami’s jaw clenched obviously displeased. “We don’t to risk someone setting off the device if there is one. While you are doing that I will set my squad up.” He stepped away giving both of them some space and clicked the button his radio. “This is Captain Okami. We have a situation here. Another team will need to be dispatched to follow up the kidnapping lead.” 

From where he stood, his back to Captain Okami, Captain Matsuki grinned, Young Mr. Ootori would be pleased.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mori grabbed the closest man by the collar and spun him around so his legs took out three others who were advancing on him. They all went down, one moaning and the other two unconscious, but still breathing. With a flip of his wrist Mori tossed the man he’d held towards the pile of thugs that was quickly growing in the middle of the dirt courtyard of the half finished building.

He looked around and was surprised to find that he was the only person still standing. It had seemed like there were so many more when he had started. Shrugging, he scanned for the recording equipment that he knew had to be there. It took him less than a minute to spot the two cameras. Making a mental note of where they were he made his way into the shell of the building pausing only briefly to take out several men as they materialized out of the dark. 

In the center of structure he came to a door, the only one he had seen so far. A single kick took it off of it’s hinges and left it leaning against the doorjamb like a misshapen surfboard. Slipping past it he took in the room. Against one wall was a hospital bed that contained Mr. Haninozuka who appeared to be unconscious. There was an IV bag hanging from a pole next to it. That explained how the kidnappers had managed to keep him controlled. Next to bed was a bank of tvs that held the feed from the closed circuit cameras. 

In less than five minutes Mori had switched off the cameras and gathered up all the data discs he could find. Carefully removing the IV from Mr. Haninozuka , Mori hoisted the older man onto his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. Walking as quickly as he could without causing his burden unnecessary distress he made his way out of the building, pausing only once to kick the one man foolish enough to reach up and grab his pants leg. 

Back in the courtyard he lowered Mr. Haninozuka to the ground. Taking out his cell phone he used the light to make the prearranged signal to show that he had been successful. Returning to fighting stance he stood over the man who had and was like a second father while he waited for their transportation to arrive. 

In less than a minute the car pulled up along side him. Honey was out and kneeling beside his father before it had come to a complete stop. “Father!” He shook Mr. Haninozuka’s shoulder, biting his lip when there was no response. 

“They had him sedated.” Mori gently edged Honey out of the way then lifted Mr. Haninozuka and carried him to the car. He carefully sat him against the far door then buckled him in. In the distance the first wail of a siren could be heard. Both boys scrambled into the car and the driver took off, fish tailing in the dirt until the tires found purchase and they shot forward, back onto the road and away from the now silent structure. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mr. Haninozuka relaxed back into the water of the hot springs with a sigh. He was still groggy and probably would be for a few more days until all of the anesthetic he’d been given was completely out of his system, but no one who didn’t know him well would be able to tell. He’d come to in the back of one of his cars, speeding down a dirt road. They’d barely turned back onto pavement when five police cars followed by a rescue vehicle passed them going the other direction. For a moment the cab had been filled with lights and sound before they quickly disappeared into the distance. 

Honey had filled him in on the details of what had happened on the ride home though he had needed to be told again in the morning when his head was clearer. In a few days there would be plans to make. The Minister of Defense needed to be informed of the enemies that were plotting his downfall and there would be harsh consequences for the Ibeki clan as well. All of that could wait, though. Right now, all he wanted to do was soak in the hot water and enjoy his very public vacation with his two eldest sons.


End file.
